Mr. Speaker, Canada's energy sector is on a roll. Hundreds of millions of dollars of investment is flowing into Canadian energy development. The result is hundreds of thousands of jobs across our country.

In the past, we have put our energy eggs into one basket and have exported virtually all of our products to one market. That is no longer good enough. Our energy is as valuable as any in the world and it needs to be priced at world prices. That is why we are focusing on diversifying our export markets. We need new markets around the world.

Let us be smart when we do this. The countries we deal with must be responsible members of the international community, showing a commitment to freedom, human rights and democratic ideals. Foreign corporate entities must operate under the same guidelines as everyone else, getting what they are prepared to give. State-owned enterprises need to be scrutinized. Who controls them? Do they function according to world trade and financial market principles? Are they financially accountable and transparent?

We do not need to be granting special treatment to any entity or country in order to get its investment dollars. We are world class, let the world come to us.

Mr. Speaker, the government is a one-trick pony when it comes to economic policy because, instead of presenting a comprehensive job creation plan, the Conservatives continue to sit idly by making faulty economic comparisons with other countries and claiming that tax cuts create jobs.

The reality is that corporate tax cuts do not increase productivity. We watch as executives take the cuts, award themselves bigger bonuses, shut down operations in Canada and move them elsewhere. Public sector cuts do not make any more economic sense. More than 60,000 jobs economy-wide are jeopardized by the public sector cuts made over the last few years.

New Democrats believe that any job creation worth its salt must include public sector investment, and the Governor of the Bank of Canada agrees, but the Conservatives are ignoring his advice because it inconveniently contradicts them.

It is clear that the economic policies of the anti-science, anti-worker, Conservative government are bad for Halifax, bad for Nova Scotia and bad for Canada, and we demand better.

Mr. Speaker, Canada notes that state elections are taking place in India, the world's largest democracy. With a Punjabi background, I note with great satisfaction the massive turnout of over 77% in the State of Punjab.

Punjabis, both of Hindu and Sikh religion, exercised their democratic right to chart their own destiny.

Here in Canada, the Punjabi community, again made up of Hindus and Sikhs, plays a vital role in our country's destiny. I am very happy to be a member of that community as are my colleagues in the House of Commons.

However, there are certain groups that would like to create discord among these communities. To them, there is a clear message coming from communities all over the world: ”Stop it, let us move on toward addressing the issues that are of far more importance, like prosperity in this country”.

Mr. Speaker, it was only back in 1995 when The Wall Street Journal called this great nation “an honorary member of the Third World” and ridiculed our currency.

This week, the same newspaper praised Canada:

...as a favored destination for investors seeking refuge from the turmoil sweeping the euro zone and the continuing uncertainty over the U.S. fiscal position. The country now is the world's third-biggest issuer of sovereign debt to be rated triple-A by all three major credit-ratings....

Our fiscal position was described as “sterling” and our Conservative government's economic leadership was praised.

I am pleased that the international community will be able to read these words about our country. Despite the financial problems in Europe and other parts of the world, we remain steadfast in our commitment to focus on Canadians' priorities: jobs and economic growth.

Mr. Speaker, here is a surprising statistic: one-quarter of the people who live on Montreal's West Island have, at some point, requested help from a community organization. In Pierrefonds—Dollard, community organizations provide a variety of important services. The Comité d'aide Cloverdale provides affordable meals to children; the Family Resource Center helps courageous students to overcome academic difficulties; VON Montreal provides palliative home care. If I could, I would name them all. Although all of these organizations have different missions, they all face the common threat of unstable and insufficient funding.

That is why the work of the West Island Community Shares is essential for the community. It has a mandate to raise funds which are then distributed to local community organizations in the West Island. Just two weeks ago, Community Shares collected $140,000 at its red and white event.

I am proud to say that in the West Island we are all in solidarity. I thank the West Island Community Shares for organizing the event and I thank everyone who donated. This is--

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to helping the Canadian forestry industry to diversify and succeed in priority markets around the world. With Canadian lumber exports to China at a record high, our efforts are paying off, creating jobs and economic opportunities for Canadians.

Canadian wood exports to China grew to $835 million in 2010, up 119% from 2009. During the first 11 months of 2011, wood products were Canada's third largest export to China, totalling $1.36 billion and expected to exceed $1.5 billion in 2011.

Eighteen Canadian mills have reopened and have dedicated part of their production to servicing the Chinese market.

While we are focused on growing Canada's economy and creating jobs with our pro-trade plan, the NDP continues to promote its anti-trade agenda that will kill jobs. The NDP's reckless and irresponsible anti-trade agenda is a danger to the Canadian economy and Canadian jobs.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, January 30, an organization known as Le Fablier, une histoire de familles, officially opened its new premises on Chemin de Chambly in Longueuil. Every day, the dynamic team at Le Fablier welcomes families and organizes various public education activities to prevent poverty and promote literacy. In Quebec, 1.3 million people over the age of 16 have difficulty reading and writing.

Day after day, Le Fablier carries out its mission on a shoestring budget. That is the case for most of the community organizations in my riding, yet I cannot imagine what our society would be like without these courageous and noble organizations. Federal subsidy programs are inadequate or laden with red tape, and offer no guarantees of future funding.

It is time to stabilize funding for all of these valiant organizations that are key to making good things happen in our society. At the end of every fiscal year, the organizations' clientele and staff find themselves in the same boat: vulnerable to the government's whims. Keeping these organizations guessing from year to year not only interferes with their ability to carry out their missions but is also very disrespectful to them.

Mr. Speaker, our government remains focused on jobs and economic growth. Our efforts toward improving international ties are no exception.

The Prime Minister's visit to China this week is just one example of Canada's successful efforts to improve and diversify trade linkages around the world.

Be it in forestry, tourism, education, energy or agriculture, our joint initiatives are rapidly increasing commercial, cultural and scholastic ties between our two countries. Canadian families, business and communities will see the economic benefits of these agreements. Our economic relations with China will benefit Canadian communities, large and small.

As China continues to grow in significance as one of our trading partners, I am sure we will see more and more benefits from our government's efforts to strengthen economic ties in Asia.

Mr. Speaker, Globe and Mail journalist, Jane Taber, wrote a story last fall about the financial challenges faced by a community museum in Windsor, Nova Scotia. The article in the Hockey Heritage Museum caught the attention of some significant hockey enthusiasts and sparked an idea to launch a celebration of the game on Long Pond on the Dill Family Farm in Windsor, Nova Scotia where the sport was born.

The inaugural Long Pond Hockey Heritage Classic takes place tomorrow and I want to salute the volunteers who have tirelessly persevered to preserve the origins of our national game in its birthplace. Over 200 years ago, the first game was played on Long Pond and this weekend's hockey's home ice will once again witness a passionate celebration of our favourite winter sport.

I send my best wishes for a successful event and best wishes for the ongoing success of the Hockey Heritage Museum in Windsor, the birthplace of hockey.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians gave our government a strong mandate to end the wasteful and ineffective long gun registry once and for all, and that is exactly what we are doing.

However, we are not the only ones who promised this. Many NDP MPs from rural Canada told their voters that they would scrap the registry as well. The member for Western Arctic even stood at an all candidates debate last May and said, “Vote for me or vote for the Conservatives. It's all the same. We'll both end the registry”.

However, guess what? Unfortunately, that individual has decided that he will stand up for the NDP big union bosses rather than for his constituents, saying that he wants the registry but he does not want the records. That is just silly.

I call on the member for Western Arctic to live up to his promises to the good people of the Northwest Territories and vote in the House to scrap the long gun registry once and for all.

Mr. Speaker, the F-35 procurement process has had so many problems that the Associate Minister of National Defence does not even know how to defend it anymore. Yesterday he said that all acquisitions and procurements currently under way for the Canadian Forces are “holy and decent”. Those were his exact words.

Would the minister have us believe that the F-35s—the fighter jets that seem to have one new problem after another, including safety issues, skyrocketing costs and delivery delays—are a gift from above? How pitiful.

It has become clear that all of the countries that were considering purchasing the F-35 are backing off. Canada is the only one continuing its crusade towards this reckless, irresponsible expenditure.

The government is completely incapable of managing this file and is now hoping for a miracle from up above, instead of coming up with a plan B. There is no evidence that this is the right plan. We must launch a competitive bidding process.

Mr. Speaker, this week, the Conservatives were incredibly transparent with Canadians about the government's priorities when they reopened the abortion debate, condoned torture and fired warning shots into the air. They even made despicable references to the Nazis in their national discourse.

Nevertheless, there is one thing they refuse to be transparent about: does the government plan to raise the age of retirement from 65 to 67 or not?